Monrovia – An allegation by a Guinean company that its container went missing at the Freeport of Monrovia has taken a different dimension with Justice Minister Frank Musa Dean seems to be caught-up in the web of a legal wrangling.
On Monday, June 22, the Sixth Judicial Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice, which is adjudicating the matter, issued an arrest order for Minister Dean and three other persons who are allegedly connected to the missing container including the Justice Minister.
The other persons named in the writ of arrest are APM Terminal boss, George Adjei; Management of CMA CGM Shipping and Houssel Kaffel, Manager of Montserrado Group of Industries. They have all been charged with contempt of court.
“You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of the named respondents in the above entitled cause if action,” stated the writ.
“When arrested after working hours they should be detained at the nearest police station until the next day and brought before this court to show cause, if any, why they should not be held in contempt of court for their alleged failure and refusal to obey this Court’s order to retrieve the container from the Management of the APM Terminal.”
The Civil Law Court on June 22 arrested the Manager of Montserrado Group of Industries, but he was later released to his lawyer.
Tit can be recalled that the container in question was loaded on February 28, 2020 and departed Istanbul, Turkey for Conakry. It was shipped by Raze Akhavein an Iranian-Turkish national, who is the general manager of Aria Gida Katku MADD Sanvet TIC, LTD based in Turkey.
Unfortunately, according to report, the container was tracked in Madrid, Spain where the Guinean company representative Aboubacar Balde claimed Raze unlawfully changed the original owner to the Montserrado Group of Industries.
Balde alleged that a formal complaint was written to the Ministry of Justice pertaining the diversion of the container, but the Ministry failed to respond.
Balde then complained before the Civil Law Court through the Gongloe and Associates against the Justice Ministry indicating that the Ministry refused to exercise its responsibility by ensuring that thorough Judicial scrutiny is conducted prior to the release of the container to the Montserrado Group of Industries.